All Your Secrets
by revivingophelia
Summary: She wanted some alone time. Instead she ended up telling him a lot more than she meant to. Three part series. Set in May 2012. Eve Torres/CM Punk.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** All Your Secrets  
**Author:** Karen U/revivingophelia  
**Disclaimer:** no one you recognize belongs to me  
**Rating:** PG-13/T  
**Spoilers:** May 2012 - Eve is the executive administrator, and Punk's just finished his feud with Jericho.  
**Characters/Pairing:** Eve Torres, CM Punk  
**Prompt:** #154; hot tub (for this installment)  
**Summary:** She wanted to be alone; instead she ended up confessing more than she meant to  
**Warnings:** mild language  
**Notes:** A three-part series for a project365 claim I've got going. Written as three one-shots.

Part One - Heat of the Moment

She made her way down the hall, the woman very aware of just how late it was... Nearly two in the morning. Which, if she was lucky, meant that the indoor pool that the hotel boasted - open all night - would have either very few occupants... Or perhaps no one else at all. And that, quite frankly, was exactly what she wanted. A little bit of alone time to relax.

Tucking some hair behind her ear, she eased the door to the room open, pausing just inside the dimly lit room and looking around... Eve smiling as she realized that she was getting what she wanted. The pool was empty... And so was the hot tub that she could see across the room. Her smile widening, the diva made her way over to the hot tub, kneeling down to press the necessary buttons to turn the jets on, then standing again, slipping off the shorts and t-shirt she was wearing over her bikini. She put her clothes and towel on a nearby lounge chair, then pulled her hair up, securing it with a clip. She slipped off the flip-flops that she was wearing as well, then dipped a toe in the water... Smiling in satisfaction as she stepped into the hot tub, easing herself down so that she was sitting on the bench that went around the inside edge of it. Taking a deep breath, she leaned her head back slightly, the diva enjoying the feel of the hot water and the jets that were causing the water to bubble up all around her.

Yes, she had definitely needed this. She had needed a chance to relax, a chance to just sort of let things go... To take a moment away from being the Executive Administrator and just sort of... Be herself again. Enjoy a few moments when she didn't have to worry about someone being nasty to her or trying to undermine her and the job she was doing. A job that she wanted to be good at. That she tried to be good at. Damn it, she was good at it. Even if only a couple of people really knew what she was doing.

Making a face, Eve shook her head, reminding herself that she was here to relax, not to dwell on what people thought about her or the job she was doing. Not to dwell on work. She was here to relax and enjoy herself and be alone...

And it seemed she wasn't going to get the 'alone' part, either.

Eve Torres bit her lip to hold in a sound of frustration when she heard the sound of the metal hitting metal as she door swung shut again, the diva opening her eyes and looking over...The woman fighting the urge to groan when she saw exactly who it was that had entered the room. No. This was not her day, her night, whatever. She thought she'd lucked out when the place was empty, but now she knew she was really cursed because it was no longer empty, there was one other person here with her. She was now alone with CM Punk.

She could see the moment when he realized that she was there, when he took note of who she was, but she refused to let the annoyance that crossed his face when he saw her cause her any pain. She knew all too well that he didn't like her. That was fine. She just wanted him to leave her alone right now. Unfortunately, the pool area was a public place, which meant she couldn't force him to leave. She could only hope that he despised the idea of being around her so much that he would leave on his own. Of course, even if he did leave, it probably wouldn't be without a few nasty comments sent her way. It was just the kind of guy he was... Or so she thought.

Punk eyed her for a moment, though he didn't say anything, instead just making his way over, pulling off the t-shirt he was wearing with his swimming trunks and kicking off his shoes, dropping the shirt and his towel on a chair not too far away from the one she'd put her things on. He met her gaze for a long moment, then headed over to the pool and jumped in, immediately starting to swim laps, and Eve watched him for a moment, then decided that if he was going to leave her alone - and it seemed that he was - then his presence here was none of her concern. So instead she reached over to turn up the jets in the hot tub, letting out a sigh and closing her eyes, enjoying the heat of the water and the feel of the jets... The woman losing track of time, not sure how long she sat there, just knowing that it must have been awhile when she suddenly sensed someone looking at her again. Opening her eyes, she jerked, nearly sliding off the seat into the deeper middle of the hot tub as she realized that CM Punk was standing at the edge of it, frowning as he looked down at her. She caught herself quickly, pushing herself back into place and reaching up to secure her hair again, watching as Punk slowly eased himself into the water, the man seating himself across from her.

"Waiting to meet someone?" he asked, that hard edge to his tone that meant he was irritated... Eve made a face, the diva sure that she knew who he thought she might be meeting and more than a little disgusted by the thought of it. The idea that she would actually... and with... Ew. Just ew. She had no interest in any man that was old enough to be her father.

"I wanted to be alone, actually," Eve replied, her own words sharp, the woman arching a brow at him. "Obviously, you messed that one up for me."

"You can't be alone in your hotel room?"

"I got talked into rooming with Vickie Guerrero. She snores. Loudly. It reminds me of a freight train," the brunette replied, watching as CM Punk's lips twitched in something like amusement at her words.

"Now is that any way to talk about your friends?"

"She's not a friend. She's a business associate. And sharing a room with someone else cuts down on costs. You know that as well as I do," the diva said, then heaved out a breath, starting to rise from her seat... Very aware of the way Punk's eyes moved over her as the dark blue bikini she was wearing came into view. It wasn't anything too revealing - everything necessary was all nice and covered - but it was still a bikini, which meant it was a lot of skin. And whether he liked her or not, CM Punk didn't seem to mind the view.

"You're leaving?"

"I imagine you would prefer it if I would," the woman replied, and Punk sighed, jerking a hand through his wet hair, then gesturing to the spot across from him.

"Sit down. I'll behave. If you will."

"Gee... And here I was... Thinking about how much fun it would be to jump your bones. I'll just have to restrain myself," Eve stated, and Punk swallowed hard before he smirked.

"Oh, well... Feel free to do that. I just meant we should mind our manners."

"I didn't know you had any," the diva replied as she sat back down, and Punk's smile widened a bit at that.

"And here I thought we were going to behave."

She averted her gaze. "It... Just slipped out," she said, her voice low enough that it could barely be heard over the jets, and she thought she heard Punk swear in response.

"Eve, I didn't... I was joking. I'm not mad. I still don't understand why in the hell you're working for Laurinaitis or anything you've done for the past few months, but... I'm not mad at you for making a joke. It's kind of nice to know you can."

"I'm not asking for anyone to understand me or what I'm doing."

"Why don't you explain it to me?"

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm here. Right here, right now. We're here... And nobody in the company would believe it if I told them about this little meeting. This little conversation. So explain it to me, Eve. Tell me why you did what you did-"

"I was sick of feeling helpless," she snapped out before she could stop herself. "Sick of being the supportive one. I stood by Kelly's side the entire time that she was the divas' champion. Despite the fact that she got a title shot before I ever got my rematch, I stood by her." She arched a brow at the confusion on his face. "Yeah, a lot of people forget that. I had a rematch clause when I lost the title to Brie. When she and Nikki cheated me out of it. And instead of getting my rematch? Kelly got a shot. More than one shot, actually. It took her two tries to get it off Brie. Two tries, and I never got a rematch during that time. But I played the best friend, and I was happy for her."

"Eve-"

"You wanted an explanation, and you're getting one," she snapped out, reaching up to run her hands over her face before she continued to speak. The small amount of eye makeup she hadn't managed to get off when she'd washed her face earlier smeared, smudging beneath her eyes. "Why? Are you surprised that it goes so far back? You thought everything I've done has been on a whim? It hasn't. I was a good friend to Kelly. I tried to be. And then, when Zack started coming after me... I tried to let him down easy. I used the biggest clichés in the world to get him to back off. I told him I couldn't go out with him because I was washing my hair. He wouldn't let up. And then, when Kane started coming after John Cena, somehow I ended up getting dragged into it because of Zack. I was cornered in the divas' locker room by a man that weighs three hundred pounds. My supposed friends just hauled ass out of there and conveniently forgot to even call the damned security guys to try and help me out. Then they wanted all the details because they just love the drama. And I decided I was done. I was done being the friend. Done being the scared little girl. I was sick of not having any power over anything. So I took it. I got John Cena and Zack Ryder out of my life."

"Wait a minute-"

"What? You think I'm dumb enough to tell the Bella twins my master plan if I didn't want it to get out? Please. And in case you're curious... I didn't really fire them. Their contracts were expiring and they wanted to take time off to do other things. We staged that. And no, I'm not going to tell you why." She gave a slight smile. "They were a little annoyed by the fact that they didn't get to leave with the title. But Layla won that fair and square."

"That doesn't explain why you're working for John Laurinaitis. Why you cost Team Teddy the match at WrestleMania-"

"You might want to ask Theodore Long what it is I have against him. What it is that he wanted from me in exchange for Zack being added to the team." She met Punk's eyes unflinchingly as she spoke. "I threatened him with a lawsuit, sold Zack this silly plan to get him on the team, and then... Well... Teddy knew that if he didn't put him on the team, then I was going to file a complaint. Simple as that."

"You don't expect me to believe-"

"Believe whatever you want to. But what reason do I have to lie? I mean, you already told me that this little conversation is between us. That no one else would believe we ever had it. I'm telling the truth. I mean, think about it... Teddy nearly married Kristal. Aksana was his special friend. He had the Bellas sitting on his lap at the TLC pay per view. Why should it surprise you that he tried something with me? After all, it's what John Cena made sure people thought of me. Who cares that all Cena ever got was one kiss?"

"And now you're working for Laurinaitis, who probably wants the same from you-"

"He's not going to get it," Eve snapped out, the diva rising to her feet, stepping out of the hot tub. She arched a brow at the man as she looked down at him still seated there, then turned to gather her things... Stopping to look back at him as she wrapped her towel around her body and slipped on her flip-flops. "Oh, and Punk? Who says that Laurinaitis is the one I'm really working for?"

She was gone before Punk even had a chance to register what she'd said.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed so far.

Prompt for this part was #82, hotel room.

Remember, this was written as three related one-shots, so they won't flow from scene to scene like a usual story would.

Two - Rash Behavior

She couldn't believe what she'd done. She didn't know why she'd done it, why she'd said what she had... Why she had told CM Punk of all people those things. It was incredibly stupid of her. She had no idea why she'd just spilled her guts like that... Why she had told him all the things that had been bottled up inside of her. She had no excuse for it, either. The heat of the moment wasn't a good reason. She shouldn't have said a word to him about any of it. She should have just left when he'd come over to get in the hot tub with her. Just walked away. But she hadn't. Nope. Instead, she'd spilled how she'd felt about Kelly and Zack and everything, she'd told him the truth about Teddy Long of all people - the old pervert - and her parting remark? Completely and totally stupid. It was just asking for him to poke into things, and if he did that, then it could all fall down around her. Not just around her. Around them.

She couldn't afford to let that happen.

Squaring her shoulders, Eve Torres took a deep breath, the woman lifting her hand to knock on the door in front of her, hoping that the information she'd been able to get her hands on was correct and that he was rooming alone. Because if he wasn't... She was just going to make things worse for herself. Hell, she was probably doing that anyway. But for some reason, she just couldn't seem to stop herself. Maybe that was her problem.

The man blinked as he opened the door and saw her standing there, Eve's gaze immediately sliding down his form, taking in his wet hair, the water droplets that were still evident on his chest, and the towel that was slung around his waist. Her mouth opened in surprise, the woman taking a step back. The last thing she'd expected was for him to open the door wearing nothing but a towel. "I... Really shouldn't have come here," she said, starting to back away, then letting out a yelp when he reached out and took hold of her arm, tugging her inside his room, closing and locking the door behind them, then reaching down to make sure that his towel was still more or less secure.

"You came here, I figure there had to be a reason," CM Punk said, frowning as he looked at her. "I'll go get dressed."

"I shouldn't be here-"

"Stay. I'll chase you down if you don't, and somehow, I don't think you want to be seen with me... Especially if I'm wearing a towel and running after you down the hallway," the WWE champion said before slipping into the bathroom, closing the door behind him and leaving Eve more or less alone. Part of her contemplated just leaving, just walking out of his hotel room and making a run for it, but somehow she thought that he had been telling the truth when he'd said that he would come after her, and the last thing she needed was for them to be seen together. So instead of leaving, she made her way over to the couch in the room and sat down quietly, twisting her hands together as she mentally cursed herself for coming here. This was the second time in a week that she'd acted on some stupid impulse when it involved CM Punk. First, she'd practically confessed all to him in a damned hot tub of all places and now... Here she was, in his hotel room.

For a smart woman, sometimes she could really act like an idiot.

Eve looked over as Punk came out of the bathroom, now wearing jeans and a t-shirt, his feet bare, the man towel-drying his dark hair. He frowned as he looked at her. "You know, you're the one that came to me... So why is it that you suddenly look like you're about to face a firing squad or something?"

"Because I shouldn't have come here, and I know it."

"Then why did you come here?"

"Because last week I shouldn't have... You can't tell anyone what I said last week. When we... When we ran into each other in the pool-"

"And spent close to twenty minutes together in a hot tub?" he finished for her. "When you told me you were sick - and understandably so - of playing second fiddle to Kelly Kelly of all people? When you told me that you wanted Cena and Ryder out of your life, so you staged a scene with the Bellas? When you told me that you threatened a lawsuit against Teddy Long because he propositioned you? Oh, right... And when you implied that you're not really working for John Laurinaitis at all? Is that what you're referring to?" he wanted to know, and Eve shifted uncomfortably, finding it difficult to meet the man's eyes, instead staring down at her hands, noting that the polish on one of her fingernails was getting chipped. She'd have to have that taken care of. Shaking her head, she forced herself to speak.

"I... You know that's what I'm talking about. I shouldn't have run my mouth off to you. I don't know why I did," she said, rising to her feet and starting to pace back and forth across the length of the room. "It was stupid of me. Completely irresponsible. If you'd told people what I'd said... It would have ruined everything, and it would be all my fault. I can't let that happen. I just can't. So you can't tell anybody. Please, I'm begging you-"

She broke off as Punk was suddenly there in front of her, the man's hands on her shoulders as he yanked her in, pressing his lips to hers, her eyes widening in surprise as he kissed her. The kiss shocked her into immobility for a moment, the diva just standing there with her arms at her sides, and then she reached up, putting her hands between them, her fingers clutching at his t-shirt almost reflexively for a moment before she forced her fingers to uncurl, her palms pressing against his chest as she pushed him away, the man stepping back instantly at her light shove. Eve stared up at him with wide eyes, not quite sure she believed what had just happened. CM Punk hadn't really just kissed her, had he?

She unconsciously licked her lips, her eyes widening a bit more when she saw the way the innocent act drew his attention to her mouth. She took another step back, all too aware that if she moved back much more, she'd probably end up falling over the arm of the couch and landing in a most undignified position. Because of that, she didn't step back again when he shifted closer to her. She did however, look away from him for a moment, uncomfortable under the intensity of his gaze. "What was that for?" she whispered, tucking some hair behind her ears. Punk shrugged a bit, perhaps reading her discomfort because he took a step away from her, giving her a little space as he answered her.

"Thought it might shut you up for a second. Not to mention that I figured it would get your attention."

Her eyes flared angrily at that. "You had no right-"

He cut her off with another kiss, his hands capturing hers before she could push him away, the man drawing her arms around his neck, then running his hands down her arms before sliding his arms around her waist, changing the angle of the kiss just a bit... Eve kissing him back, her hands tangling in his hair, the woman whimpering softly as she felt him draw her bottom lip between his teeth... And then she stepped back suddenly, her eyes on his, Eve certain that a horrified blush was staining her cheeks as she looked up at him in shock... Shock at what he had done... Shock at her own response to it.

"I..." She shook her head, blinking back the tears she suddenly felt welling up in her eyes, and Punk swore softly, stroking a hand over her hair before he stepped away from her.

"Eve..." He closed his eyes, cursed again, then looked at her. "I've wanted to do that for... Awhile now. Not just since last week when I caught sight of you in that blue bikini, but for a long time before that. I've... I shouldn't have just kissed you like that, but it's not just... I didn't just do that to shut you up. I did it because I wanted to. I wanted to kiss you. And I wanted that second kiss even more than the first. Hell, right now, I'm having trouble keeping my mind off of a third kiss. You can hate me for it, but... There it is. I kissed you because I wanted to."

"You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have kissed me. It just..."

"I do a lot of things that I shouldn't do," Punk replied, carefully easing her away from the arm of the couch so she wouldn't back up and trip over it, the man then stepping away from her and moving over to the end of the bed, seating himself on it. He gestured for her to take a seat on the couch again, and she did so, shifting a bit uncomfortably. "You came here because you wanted my promise that I wouldn't tell anything. It would be nice if you could just trust me, but I get why you don't. Although... I guess you trusted me enough to actually come to my hotel room. So that's something. Even if I did kind of mess things up by kissing you twice. I won't do it again. Unless you want me to."

Eve found herself staring at him for a moment at those words, fighting the urge to say she did want him to kiss her again, the woman quickly averting her gaze and taking a deep breath as she tried to gather herself and keep from saying something stupid. Eve pressed her lips together, then rubbed her hands over her face. "Last week... I told you things I had no right to tell you. I don't know why I did it. It was just bubbling up inside me and... You were there when it came out. Or maybe you were just the first one to ask, and I just spilled my guts. And I... You can't tell anyone, Punk. You can't. It would really mess things up-"

"For who?" he wanted to know, the man lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them as he looked at her. "Because I don't think it's just for you. I know you don't have a lot of reason to trust me, Eve. But I haven't said a word to anyone about what you told me in that hot tub. Not just because I didn't think anyone would believe me... But because I knew it wasn't my right to tell. And I've been thinking for the past week... Wondering what you meant when you walked away."

"I was just... Tossing words around. Saying what came to mind-"

"I don't think so, Eve," the wrestler said quietly, still watching her calmly.

"I spoke rashly, and without thought-"

"Yeah, well, I just kissed you twice. I behaved rashly, and without thought. Doesn't mean it didn't happen and the only reason I might regret it is if it upsets you, which I'm pretty sure it does, and I'm sorry for that. And I get that you wish you could take back what you told me last week, but... I'm glad you can't. I wish you wouldn't regret telling me, and I wish you'd tell me more. I wish you'd tell me the truth about what you meant. No one would believe that you would spill your secrets to me, and you know it. So if you're not really working for Big Johnny, then who are you working for, Ms. Torres?" he asked her, his gaze locked with hers, and Eve couldn't say why she actually let it slip out, why she confessed it to him, but she did it, the words slipping from her lips, the diva not blinking, her eyes locked on his as she told him the truth.

"Stephanie and Triple H."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed so far.

Prompt for this part was #131, it's over.

Remember, this was written as three related one-shots, so they won't flow from scene to scene like a usual story would.

Three - Moving Forward

"It's over," she whispered, the diva stretched out on the bed in her hotel room, her hands pressed over her eyes. The day she'd been waiting for since right after WrestleMania had finally come and - according to the clock - was also gone. It was well past midnight now, technically the next morning, the first full day in a new era of the WWE. An era in which Triple H had managed to force John Laurinaitis out of control. An era in which SmackDown and RAW once again each had its own general manager. Mick Foley for RAW, Edge for SmackDown. And from here on out, she would be acting as a liaison between the two brands, dealing with the talent exchanges that would continue, making both shows into 'supershows'. If she chose, she would also be a competitor again, though she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She loved to wrestle, she loved to be in the ring, but she was worried that anything she got as a competitor would somehow be seen as favoritism since she worked with Mick and Edge.

Eve jerked slightly at the sound of a sudden knock on her hotel room door, the woman pushing herself up from the bed and grabbing her robe, wrapping it securely around her before heading toward the door, not at all sure who it would be. After all... Since Triple H and Stephanie had made it clear that she'd been working for them all along, that she'd just been playing a role when working for Laurinaitis... Since they had made it clear that part of the reason they'd been able to get rid of him had been because of the information she'd provided... Well, suddenly everyone seemed to like her again. In fact, several people had come up to her and told her how they'd known that she wasn't really working for Laurinaitis, that she'd just been playing him... Funny how so many people had suddenly known it all along once the truth was actually revealed.

"We can go back to normal now, right?" she whispered to herself, thinking of the way Kelly had come up to her... She'd just walked away from the blonde, not wanting to deal with her. And really, after the things Kelly had said about her, the way the woman had just assumed the worst - even making stuff up and claiming she'd always been a bad friend - well... Who would really blame her for not wanting to be all buddy-buddy again?

Taking a deep breath, Eve glanced out the peephole, frowning a bit as she saw who was there... Biting her lip as she contemplated whether or not to answer. But then again, if she didn't answer the door, there was no guarantee that he would go away, and there was a distinct possibility that he would end up causing a scene. It was just sort of his way. So, with a bit of a sigh, Eve unlocked the door and pulled it open, leaning against the frame as she looked at CM Punk.

"You gonna let me in?"

"I'm trying to decide if that's a good decision or not," she whispered, then blinked in surprise when he brought his hand out from behind his back, holding out a rose to her. It was white, with dark pink at the edges of the petals, the flower not quite in full bloom just yet. "Punk..."

"It's just a flower, Eve. I thought you might like it. Can I come in? I promise to behave myself," he told her, and the diva pressed her lips together before stepping back, holding the door open to allow him entrance. He smiled a bit as he stepped into the room, then held the rose out to her again. This time, she took it from him, allowing him to close the door while she went and grabbed an almost-empty bottle of water, going over and filling it with tap water before using it as a makeshift vase for the flower.

"I didn't expect to see you tonight. Or... Anyone, really."

"Why not? You're the hero of the day," he told her. "You fed Triple H and Stephanie information for weeks, put up with everything everyone said about you... And now, thanks to the information you provided, we're all better off. We've got Mick Foley and Edge as the General Managers of the shows. Two guys that are pretty much legends in the business. Edge is the youngest wrestler in the Hall of Fame. Mick was even commissioner before... for awhile. He did a good job of it, too."

"Being the hero of the day - or whatever - doesn't change the fact that... Do you know how many people that, now that the truth's out, now that it's over... They came up to me, telling me how sure they'd been that I was always on the right side? That they knew I couldn't really be working for Laurinaitis." She shook her head. "The same people that liked to run around making implications as to how it was that I'd gotten the job in the first place. John Cena came up to me and told me 'no hard feelings'. I told him that when people start chanting 'hoeski' at him every time he walks out to the arena, then we'll be even."

"Vindictive. I like it."

Eve rolled her eyes. "I guess I'm just not always that good at the whole 'forgive and forget' thing. Besides that... I guess that, technically speaking, I did play him. I mean, I wanted him to hate me, and I made sure that he did. Still, it would have been nice if he'd apologized for calling me a bitch to my face. Which he called me right around the time he started the whole hoeski thing. That John Cena... always so respectful of women."

CM Punk tilted his head slightly as he watched the diva, the man sitting down on the arm of the couch. "You know... Now that the truth is out... A lot of people will expect things to go back to how they were. With you. Before the whole mess with Cena and Zack and Kane and you joining up with Laurinaitis. They'll expect you to be the girl you used to be."

Eve wrapped her robe more tightly around herself, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "But I'm not that girl. I mean... Not everything is an act. I mean, I was never working for Laurinaitis, but... I'm the one that decided to drop John and Zack. That was me. I cost Teddy Long his job as General Manager of SmackDown on purpose. Of course... When I admitted my reasons to Stephanie, she didn't seem all that surprised. She'd had concerns about Teddy Long's behavior with the divas before this. Made it easier, actually. I'm pretty sure they thought they would have to make me all sorts of promises to get me to work for them and hand them over information on Johnny. Instead... I was more than happy to help. John Laurinaitis underestimated me, and I don't like being underestimated. Makes me cranky. So... I signed on with Triple H and Stephanie and, well... Did what I did. But the stuff with Zack and Cena and even Teddy? That was me. I did that."

"I know you did. And for some reason? I find that smart and devious streak makes you even hotter," the wrestler said, and Eve let out a short, surprised laugh.

"Punk... You don't really-"

"I came here because I wanted to talk to you. I know I kept my distance for the past month. That night you came to my hotel room and told me the truth about who you were working for... I didn't want to screw things up for you. I knew that if someone saw you with me... If it got back to Laurinaitis... It could mess things up. For you, for Triple H and Stephanie. And given what ended up coming out of it all? I would have really been pissed off with myself if something I'd done had stopped that from happening. I mean... Who wants to answer to a guy like Laurinaitis when they can answer to Edge or Mick instead?" he asked, and Eve gave a slow smile.

"I can think of a few people," she replied, thinking of the reaction of David Otunga - Johnny's former legal counsel and now just a member of the RAW roster - when the news had come down that the board was removing John Laurinaitis from power and replacing him with two men that most assuredly didn't want the yes-man lawyer as a part of their staff. He wasn't the only one that had been horrified by the news... Del Rio had been particularly cranky about it. And while Teddy Long had originally been all smiles at the information that John was no longer the general manager of both shows, that smile had been wiped away when Teddy had been informed that he wasn't going to be in power, either. He hadn't taken that well at all... And while the fact that he'd propositioned Eve hadn't been brought up - Triple H had respected the fact that she'd wanted to keep that bit quiet - it had been made quite clear that his behavior toward the divas was a big reason he wasn't getting his job back.

"Yeah, well, they're all bastards, so it's nice to see them suffer," he said, then grinned at her. "See? I can be vindictive, too. That's why I like that you have the quality. We can be vindictive together."

"Punk-"

"Anyway... I didn't want to mess things up for you. That's why I stayed away from you. It wasn't because I wanted to. It was because I felt like I needed to. And coming here tonight? Was because I wanted to see you. I wanted to talk to you. Not the girl that everyone thinks you are. That they think you'll go back to being now that this mess is all over. She was nice enough, I'll admit. But I came here tonight to talk to the woman that practically yelled at me in a hot tub a little over a month ago. I came here to talk to the woman that showed up at my hotel room a week later and asked me not to tell. The woman that let me kiss her - without slapping me for it - and told me the truth. That's who I came to see. I'm hoping that's who you really are."

She pressed her lips together. "I... Everything I told you those two nights... It was the truth. It was... All of it was me. Or at least a side of me."

"I know it was. And I liked that side. I liked that you let me see it," he said quietly, rising to his feet, coming over to stand in front of her. He reached out, his hands sliding up and down her arms as he looked at her, his dark eyes focused on her green ones. "I don't expect you to go back to being the smile-y diva you used to be. I expect you to be the woman that you've been being. Tough, smart, and sexy as hell."

"I'm standing here in my robe. Not very sexy."

"It is to me. Although... I got to admit... I keep having these flashbacks to you in that blue bikini you were wearing in the hot tub," Punk told her as he stepped a little closer to her, smirking down at her... Then leaning down to capture her lips with his own. Unlike the month before, this time Eve didn't reach out to push him away, instead sliding her hands up his chest, then wrapping her arms around his neck, his arms coming around her waist as he drew her up against him. He groaned low in his throat as she used her teeth to tug lightly at the piercing in his lip, the man's hands settling at her waist before he slowly eased her back, looking down at her. She smiled up at him, then glanced over at her suitcase.

"You know... I actually have that blue bikini with me," Eve informed him, and he grinned as he took a step back from her.

"Oh, really? What a coincidence. Also a coincidence? This hotel has an indoor pool that's open all night. Complete with hot tub. If you're interested," Punk told her, and Eve bit her lip, then smiled at him.

"I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."

"I'll be waiting."

The End


End file.
